A Thousand Miles: The Story of Elrond
by The Potions Mistress
Summary: The story of the life of Elrond- from the beginning to the end. Ch 3- Sirion and the third kinslaying ~Some of Ch 3's dialoge has been edited now.~
1. The Black Hills

Bigass disclaimer (please read) #1: First and foremost, I do not own LOTR, Elrond (damn!), Celebrian or any other elves mentioned in this fic. Tolkien does. Grrr..  
  
#2: This is the story of Elrond's life as I perceive it. I researched this for a while and got all the info I could. Most of it is fact based: straight from The Sil or other Tolkien works, but as anyone who has read The Sil knows, Tolkein is pretty vague on people's personalities and such. I made them up. Since this is a work of fanFICTION, I also made up some of the events. I will give you a heads up on those. If you can't possibly stand the idea of someone making up part of the story, then perhaps this isn't the fic for you (if that's the case, you probably shouldn't be reading fanfiction at all).  
  
#3: This story was inspired by a story written by Nemis, who I consider to be one of THE best writers of Elrond fanfiction on this site. Nemis, if you read this, I'd just like to say, that you are awesome.  
  
And now, enjoy the story!  
  
A THOUSAND MILES- THE STORY OF ELROND  
  
Ch 1- The Black Hills  
  
His first memory was of the sea. The crib in which Elrond and his brother Elros laid their infant heads sat just below a spacious window. During the evenings, while Elros lay dozing, Elrond stared up, fascinated by the golden light moving on the celing above him. What could make the light wave in such a way? Who was tossing the sun? One day, little Elrond decided to find out for himself.  
  
Careful so as not to disturb Elros, Elrond's tiny fingers gripped a bar of his crib. With all the strength he had in him, he hoisted himself up and grabbed further along the bar with his other hand. Fingers tightly squeezing, he slowly placed a hand on the rim of the crib. One heavy push, and he was standing on virgin feet, peering out the window.  
  
Black hills bounced before him, the sun buried among them. It's rays danced at the crests of waves, flickering a bright light which blinded his eyes. So that's where the sun goes at night, he thought. The black hills eat it. If those black hills can eat the sun, then surely they can eat me. At this realization, Elrond instantly fell to the bed of his crib and covered his head with his blanket. No way were those scary black hills going to swallow him.  
  
And yet, there was something about that moving mass of darkness that intrigued him. He wondered what it was made of, why it swallowed the sun and what was on the other side. These questions would have to wait a few months to be answered- until Elrond learned to walk.  
  
Upon acquireing that skill, he discovered, much to his mother's dismay, that he was capable of getting all around the house without assistance. And so it was, more to keep the twins from running around the house than for the fresh air, that one day Elwing scooped up her two boys, threw open the back doors to the house, and placed her toddlers in the sand beyond the porch.  
  
Elrond's toes curled around the tiny grains. What new devilry was this? Reaching down, he grabbed a fistful and watched it slowly fall between his fingers to the earth below. He looked up and Elros was already far ahead, Elwing waling slowing behind him. Elrond ran after his brother, but found it hard to run on the strange and hilly sand. He watched his feet disappear and then appear again as he lifted them. Glancing ahead of him, he stopped in his tracks.  
  
There they were, the black hills, barely two yards in front of him. In the afternoon they looked more blue than black, and, because of that, much less scary. They spilled out over the land, licking the sand with white tongues. The waves bounced up and down in a vain attempt to grab the sun, which loomed mere feet above.  
  
Elwing settled herself down on the ground and Elros curiously kicked strange rocks in the sand. Elrond crept to his mother and tugged lightly on her dress. She looked down at her son with soft gray eyes. "Yes, Peredhil?" she asked.  
  
"What are these black hills?" Elrond said, pointing to them with a tiny finger.  
  
"They are the sea," she replied, "and they go on for many miles."  
  
The sea. This great terror now had a name. "And why does it eat the sun?" Elrond ventured to ask.  
  
Elwing laughed like bells. "It does not eat the sun. The sun simply moves down behind the sea to sleep at night, but to us over here it appears as though the sea eats it." She smiled down on Elrond. "The sea eats other things."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Elwing sighed. "Ships. Elves. Men. Dreams. Most of the time, it is possible to travel on top of it, but sometimes those hills part and whatever sits there will be swallowed by the waves, never to be seen again."  
  
Elrond tightened his grip on his mother's dress.  
  
"Oh, but there's no need to be afraid of it," she continued. "It will not eat you unless you provoke it." She pulled Elrond close to her and placed him in her lap. "I want you to explore the world," she whispered in his ear, "but pray your journeys never lead you there. You will leave the ones who love you unsure as to if they will see you again." Elwing hugged her son to her chest and he nuzzled into the warmth of her neck. Wet drops poured from Elwing's eyes and down her face. The wind whipped her golden hair around her head and its strands tickled Elrond's arms.  
  
They sat there long, watching the waves spill over Elros's feet as he gleefully ran through the ankle-deep water, but no ships docked that day. Earendil remained lost among the waves.  
  
Finally, when the sun was but a sliver behind the sea, Elwing stood and held Elrond at her waist. Calling to Elros, he trotted to her side and she took his hand. Together, they traveled over the hot sand back to the house.  
  
The sea still intrigued Elrond, but he would not go in the water, as his mother was against it. Instead, he watched it, and this satisfied him for the time being.  
  
Like it so far? Any constructive critiscism is appreciated. 


	2. The Glowing Seashell

Disclaimer: Same as on the front.  
  
:::exhales::: ok. Between posting this on this site and DTR I've gotten enough confidence to continue it.  
  
Thanks to all the pod sisters who reviewed! :::huggles:::  
  
Rettaw: :::sniffle, sniffle::: I seriously almost cried when I read your review. But don't think that I'm angry with you or anything. I did ask for constructive criticism, didn't I? Anyways, I found out the twin thing from a Tolkein website so assume it's true. I also assume that that since the elves are the most intelligent race in ME and since Elrond is one of the most intelligent elves, that he would be pretty smart and by the age of 2 or 3 his brain had developed enough to understand the word "miles". And I like the word "miles" instead of "leagues" anyway. : ) Doesn't the word "leagues" denote depth, not distance? Bout the barred crib, I suppose you're right. :::shrug::: No they're not alone on the beach and daddy is not forgotten. I'm getting to that, keep your shorts on. ; )  
  
Ch-2  
  
THE GLOWING SEASHELL (Sorry for really dumb random title names, they'll get better.)  
  
The next few years of his life passed in much the same way: the boys woke early and ran gleefully around the house until Elwing managed to herd them into Earendil's study for lessons.  
  
His father's study was small and crowded. A small oak desk sat in the corner with a tall wood chair behind it. Elwing had placed two smaller chairs in front of it for her young pupils. On the walls to the left and right of the desk were shelves that reached to the ceiling, stuffed to the gills with books. There was a little ladder Elrond was fond of climbing to get to the books at the top, and when he found a good one, he preferred to stay up there to read it, much to Elwing's dismay and horror. On this day he was doing just that: sitting on the ladder high above the room leafing through a rather detailed book about birds.  
  
"Wow."  
  
Elros's exclamation from below turned Elrond's gaze downward. His brother looked like a seagull from where he sat. "What?" asked Elrond.  
  
Elros said nothing because he was still staring, as he had been for hours, at the wall opposite the desk. It was covered from roof to floor in maps of all shapes sizes and colors. Elros was quite fond of studying these and could stand, perfectly still for hours just looking at them in wide-eyed amazement.  
  
"What?" Elrond repeated.  
  
Elros tore his glance away from the collage and up at Elrond. "Can you find me any books on boats or sea travel up there?"  
  
Elrond slowly closed his book on birds and placed in on the shelf. Turning around, he browsed the titles in front of him: Great Ents, The Trees of Greenwood, Tales of the Maiar. Elrond shook his head. Stretching a foot out, he pushed off the shelf below him, sending the ladder flying. He whizzed across the room and crashed against the wall on the end of the ladder's tracks. Elrond surveyed the new titles: Ship Life: A Sailor's Tale. Ah ha! Elrond removed the book from its shelf. "Here's one," he called to Elros.  
  
Elros crossed the room and stood underneath his brother. "What does it look like? Does it have a lot of words in it?"  
  
Elrond absently flipped through the book, leaning that it was mostly diagrams and drawings. "More pictures than words," said Elrond and tossed the book to the ground. It landed with a loud thunk.  
  
Elros ran to it and joyfully picked it up. "Thanks," he called up.  
  
"Don't mention it," Elrond replied and sent the ladder flying back to his previous spot and his bird book. Elros sat down in a corner and flipped through his brother's discovery. He didn't get far, however, because Elwing, who had heard the fall of the book, stuck her head into the room, a concerned look crossing her face. "Is everything all right in here?" she asked Elros.  
  
He nodded in reply and continued to flip through his book.  
  
"Where's your brother?" she continued.  
  
Elros pointed up to Elrond, who instantly knew that he was about to be forced out of his quiet reading perch. "Elrond!" cried Elwing. "Get yourself down from there this minute. You know it's dangerous to sit up there!" She stormed across the room to the desk and sat down. "Besides, it's time for you to do your arithmetic. You haven't done any today."  
  
Elrond gulped. He disliked arithmetic more than anything in the world. For some reason, the numbers got all mixed up in his head. "Please, mama, I did arithmetic yesterday," he pleaded.  
  
"You need to do it every day so you get better at it," she replied. "Now get down here."  
  
With a sigh, Elrond reluctantly placed his book back on the shelf and climbed down the ladder. He shuffled across the room and slumped in one of the small chairs. Elwing placed a made-up worksheet and a fresh quill before her son. "There you go," she said. "Take all the time you need."  
  
He slowly picked up the quill and stared at the page. To anybody else it would have been simple addition, but to Elrond it was pure torture. For any numbers that added up to anything over 10, Elrond had to use his fingers for assistance. A half-an-hour had gone by and Elrond was only on problem 15 out of 30. Finally he heard Elros stir in the corner.  
  
"Please mother," Elros said, "let me just finish the problems for him so that we might be able to go outside sometime this age." Elrond's brow reddened and he clenched his teeth.  
  
"Hush," Elwing replied. "Before I make you read to me." Elros instantly crouched back into his corner. Elros had a way with numbers and Elrond much rather preferred words. At last, after another half-an-hour, Elrond had fought his way through all thirty problems and answered enough correctly to please his mother.  
  
"All right," she said, "let's get a little fresh air, shall we?"  
  
Both boys cheered and raced to the back door. The twins had acquired quite an affection for the sea and the strange things it deposited in their background. They looked forward to this time of day and would sometimes race carelessly through lessons in a vain attempt to make it come sooner. All in all, Elwing's twins were an energetic pair and the hours of staring at the sea proved therapeutic for her nerves.  
  
She unhitched the door and the children ran out, happy to amuse themselves among the waves. Elwing sat down in her usual sandy spot, but in a few minutes she stood and went to her sons. Immediately, both boys meet their mother on the shoreline.  
  
"But mother," cried Elros, "surely it isn't time to go in yet? We just got out here."  
  
Elwing smiled. "No, child, we are not going inside yet. I just wish to take a walk along the shoreline." She lifted her left foot, removed the sandal from it, then did likewise with the right one. "I'll be back in a little while. Don't go out of sight of each other." She turned and strolled down the beach, the wind billowing her hair behind her.  
  
Elrond stared after her for a moment, then was distracted by the splashing of his brother in the wake beside him. Elros stood with his legs a foot apart and his arms akimbo, staring out into the wide ocean. "3 miles off the starboard bow," he cried, pointing to the right. "Hold 'er steady men!"  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Elrond.  
  
"Pretending I'm a mariner, like daddy." Elros replied.  
  
"Daddy is a mariner?"  
  
Elros turned abruptly and gave Elrond a cold stare. "Of course he is," Elros snapped matter-of-factly. "You don't even know what your own father does?"  
  
"I've never seen him."  
  
"Yes you have. You just don't remember."  
  
"Well to me that's never seeing." Elrond said softly.  
  
Elros shrugged and went back to his sailor's game, one that did not particularly interest Elrond. He decided to follow his mother's idea and take a walk. He set out in the opposite direction from her, the cool water washing over his feet.  
  
His father. Elrond's thoughts traveled to him and the little he remembered. Now that he thought about it, he did remember a boat, a huge one. He remembered the gleaming white deck and the face of the man holding him- a stern, sharp face, one that had seen much. His father's long hair sailed in the breeze as Elrond looked up into a pair of sad eyes. Earendil laid a kiss on Elrond's head and handed him back to Elwing. After that Elrond could remember no more.  
  
The beach was nice that day. The wind was blowing in such a way that there was no way to escape its playful breeze as it hit Elrond's face. He placed his foot on the ground only to discover something under his foot. Looking down at his water-covered toes, the sea peeled away revealing bare sand. Elrond lifted his foot and picked up the thing.  
  
It was a perfect white seashell, without a crack in it at all. He lightly touched its smooth surface, then turned it over. What he found astounded him.  
  
Instead of a white inside, the seashell had what seemed to be an iridescent lining. Elrond moved it slightly to the left and it shone red; slightly to the right and it shone blue. He moved it around in a circle and it displayed all colors in a rainbow spectrum. What beautiful fish had lived in this? He felt the inside and it was slippery.  
  
Before long, Elrond's ears picked up the unmistakable sound of water splashing behind him. "Whatcha got there?" asked Elros.  
  
"A shell."  
  
"Let me see." Elros planted his chin on Elrond's shoulder. Elrond showed him how it could reflect different colors when it was looked at from different directions. "Wow," Elros breathed. "I want it!"  
  
"Well I found it," said Elrond, turning to face his brother.  
  
"But I want it."  
  
"Well too bad, 'cause I."  
  
Elrond was interrupted by Elros's fist meeting his nose. He fell over backwards into the water, still clutching the shell tightly. Elros pinned his brother to the sand and frantically reached for the shell. A wave crashed on the shore covering Elrond's face with salty brine, sweeping it into his mouth and nose. He coughed at the putrid taste and tried to push his brother off of him. Elros meanwhile had a tight grip on his brother's hand and was trying with all his might to pry Elrond's clenched fingers open. He had barely pulled open one finger when a pair of strong arms tore him off of Elrond's body.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" Elwing cried angrily, dropping Elros in the sand.  
  
Elrond sat up. "I found a pretty seashell and Elros tried to take it from me."  
  
"I wanted it!"  
  
"I saw it first!"  
  
"Give me the shell!" demanded Elwing, stretching out her palm. Elrond dropped the shell in her hand. She glanced at it for a moment, then threw her arm forward and tossed it into the sea. "There," she declared. "Now no one has it."  
  
"Mom!" exclaimed Elros. "I can't believe you did that! Did you see how beautiful that thing was?"  
  
Elwing's eyes narrowed as she stared at her son. "Nothing is worth fighting your brother for, do you understand me?"  
  
Elros fell silent and nodded his head in shame.  
  
"Now help him up."  
  
Elros offered his hand and Elrond took it, hoisting himself into a standing position once more.  
  
"I think it's time we went inside." Said Elwing, turning to walk up the beach. The boys followed her, not speaking or looking at each other. The saltwater taste still burned Elrond's throat.  
  
Inside, Elrond changed to a dry pair of leggings and tunic. He pulled out his spoiled braids and brushed his long dark hair in front of the mirror. Elros's blow had actually missed Elrond's nose and hit his cheek, and he discovered a small black semicircle below his left eye. He still wondered what had made his brother hit him. Elrond did not want to be mad at Elros and resolved to make up with him as soon as possible.  
  
Dinner that night was quiet, and as soon as Elros was finished, he hopped from the table, retrieved his sailor's book from the study and sat down in the corner to read it. Then did not seem to be a good time for apologies, as Elros's furrowed brow indicated that he was still angry about being chastised by mother. Instead, Elrond decided to find reading material of his own, and ventured into the study.  
  
The room was dark, the moon shining dimly through the window. Elrond softly closed the door behind him. Perhaps it's a good idea to write down the names of the books that I like so that I can find them when I want to read them again later, he thought. He grabbed a piece of parchment from the desk, but there were no quills in sight. Now where did mother keep the quills? He went to the other side of the desk and pulled open the drawer in the middle.  
  
Without warning, blinding light escaped from the open drawer. Elrond threw himself back on the chair and shielded his eyes. The whole room blazed brighter than day with a white light. Squinting, Elrond looked into the drawer.  
  
The source of the light was a round white thing, the only thing in the drawer. It gleamed and sparkled brightly, like a diamond, only more brilliant. Elrond quickly shut the drawer, retuning the room to its previous dusk.  
  
He sat still for a moment just staring at the drawer. What in the world was that? And why did mom keep it in a drawer by itself? Finally an answer clicked in Elrond's head. It's one of those glowing seashells! She has one! And hers is even better than the one I found!  
  
He couldn't wait to inform Elros of his discovery, but he knew his brother was still mad at him. For an hour he prattled around the room looking at books but nor really getting into any of them. His mind kept wandering back to that drawer. He resisted the temptation to open it again, for he feared his mother might see the light and realize that he had found her shell. Finally, Elwing opened the door and told Elrond it was time for bed.  
  
Elrond ran to his room and quickly changed into his nightclothes. He hopped into bed and awaited his mother's goodnight kiss. Elros was already lying silent in his bed across the room and Elrond sincerely hoped he wasn't asleep yet. The door creaked and Elwing entered the room, standing over Elrond's bed.  
  
"Goodnight, my Peredhil," she said, reaching down and lightly kissing his brow. "Tomorrow we are going into town so I want you to get a good night's sleep. There are people I need to see about. strange occurrences."  
  
"Ok." Elrond replied. "Goodnight, mother."  
  
She smiled and left the room. When Elrond heard the door click shut, he sat bolt upright. "Elros!" he cried in a whisper. "Are you still awake?"  
  
"Yes," came the cold reply.  
  
"Guess what I found?"  
  
"What."  
  
"Momma has a seashell, just like the one I found today?"  
  
Elros sat up in his bed. "Really?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah," said Elrond. "Except this one shines by itself. I found it when I was looking in the desk drawer for a quill."  
  
"I wanna see it!" Elros said.  
  
"Of course. I'll show it to you tomorrow."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Elrond lay back down on his bed, snuggling up against his pillow.  
  
"Hey Elrond." Said Elros.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm really sorry for hitting you earlier."  
  
"It's ok." Elrond smiled. He opened his eyes to watch the sea out the big window in his room. The black waves bounced rhythmically under a pure white moon. Their soft bobbing eventually drifted Elrond off to sleep.  
  
:::whew::: Is this story boring anyone? I hope not. I'll cut more to the chase in the next chapter (ie things start to really get rolling. aka: third kinslaying) But now, since it's 2:11 AM, I really need some sleep. Cheers.  
  
~TPM~ :::huggles her little Elrond and Elros kiddies::: 


	3. Worth Fighting Your Brother For

Disclaimer: Same as before.  
  
~NOTE: This chapter has been revised!~  
  
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. :::huggles:::  
  
Someone asked me (and I'm sorry, but I don't remember who it was. I think it was LSB) if I got the idea for the title of this fic from the song by Vanessa Carlton. The answer is yes. The radio station I listen to likes to play this song ad infinitum, so one day when it came on I really listened to the words. And to me, it sounded like Celebrian singing in the Havens about going to meet Elrond. Then I thought about it more, and it occurred to me that Elrond's loved ones always seem to escape him; they always seem to remain 1000 miles away from him (a thousand miles being a relative term for "really really freakin far away")  
  
Well there's a little insight into that. Now enjoy the story, dammit! : D  
  
Ch-3 WORTH FIGHTING YOUR BROTHER FOR  
  
Elrond woke to a bright shining light before his eyes. At first he thought he had somehow stumbled upon his mother's seashell again, but then realized that it was merely the sunshine streaming through the window. He sat straight up. Elros's bed was neatly made and there was no sign of his brother anywhere. He was probably downstairs already.  
  
Elrond slowly put his feet to the cool stone floor and walked to his dresser, only to find that his mother had already laid out a fresh green tunic and green leggings on his beside chair. He changed quickly, wondering if Elwing had picked out the same outfit for Elros. She apparently got some cute thrill out dressing her twins in the same clothing. They, however, were not fond of looking alike. It was hard for others to tell who was who when they were wearing different clothing, impossible when they were wearing the same thing.  
  
He stood before the mirror and ran a brush through his hair. It was getting long; in no time it would be below his armpits. Elrond was not capable of braiding his own hair yet, so he took the brush along with him to the sitting room.  
  
Elwing sat looking straight before her, silently contemplating some unknown thought. Elros was by her side with his ship book again and, to Elrond's dismay, was clad in green.  
  
Elrond stood in the doorway for a moment, and neither his mother nor his brother noticed him. He stepped quietly into the room and Elwing's head turned. "Good morning, Elrond," she said with a smile. "Come here and let me fix your hair." Elwing took her son on her knee and he gave the brush to her. She carefully brushed his hair, making sure not to hurt him when the brush encountered knots.  
  
Elrond stole a glance at his brother, which took about a minute for Elros to return. Did you see the seashell? Elrond mentally asked, hoping Elros would somehow realize what he was thinking. The way that Elros smiled in return indicated that he had not seen it. Elrond nodded and gestured at his mother, followed by a point with his finger towards the study. Elros nodded in agreement: after Elwing finished braiding Elrond's hair, they would venture to the study to see it.  
  
"Now what shall I do with your hair this morning, child?" Elwing muttered. "Shall I make it different from your brother's?"  
  
"Yes please." Elrond replied, relieved that they wouldn't look like clones that day.  
  
"All right, let's see what I can come up with, Peredhil."  
  
As his mother pulled his hair behind his ears, a thought occurred to him. "Mother," he asked, "why must you call me Peredhil?"  
  
She put down the brush and began a long braid with the hair on the side of his head. "Because that's what you are."  
  
"But I don't call you "elf", so why do you call me "half-elf"? Does it matter how much elf I have in me?"  
  
Elwing paused her braiding and stared at her son. "Of course not. My we're feeling independent today, aren't we Elrond?" She smiled to herself. "Besides, I like the name Peredhil, and I just so happen to have two of them."  
  
The braids took a long time to finish and Elrond was getting antsy in his mother's lap. "Hold still, child," she scolded, tying a knot at the back of his head with the two side braids. "There," she said.  
  
In a nanosecond he was off his mother's lap. He motioned to Elros, who slowly closed his book and followed him. They were nearly to the study when.  
  
"Where are you two off to in such a hurry?" Elwing's voice cut the air like a knife. Both boys stopped short and turned around.  
  
"We're just. off. to get ready for lessons," replied Elrond, hoping the excuse was good enough.  
  
"We're skipping lessons for right now," she said. "We'll have them when we get back from town."  
  
The twins looked at each other. They knew it was serious when their mother skipped lessons in the morning. Elwing stood from her couch. "Come on," she said. "We're leaving now."  
  
Elwing ushered her boys out the front door and closed it softly behind her. Elrond and Elros ran down the lane ahead of their mother. The day was beautiful. Sunlight gleamed on the grass making it a glowing emerald color. The sky was a bright blue, dotted with several puffy clouds. A marvelous day to be outdoors, though Elrond, and immediately had no desire to go back inside for lessons.  
  
The pair slowed to wait for Elwing. She walked slowly, staring straight ahead and not saying a word. A small frown played upon her lips and she looked not upon either of her boys. They each fell in on one side of her and strolled down the dirt road.  
  
The town was not so far and the walk not so tedious as a nice breeze had sprung up to cool the travelers on their journey. From where he stood, Elrond could just barely make out the tops of the buildings of Sirion.  
  
He glanced up at his mother. Her stony stare had not changed. Her brow was furrowed and her jaw set. Something troubled her but Elrond knew not what. His mother sometimes got like this when she was thinking intensely, but to Elrond, this seemed to be more anger than deep pondering. He looked to Elros to find him also staring up at his mother in wonder. Getting his attention, he motioned for him to fall back so that they might talk. The twins slowed and Elwing kept up her pace. When she was about six feet in front of them, they came together.  
  
"Mother is angry at us it seems," whispered Elros. "Do you think she knows we found her shell?"  
  
Elrond shook his head. "No," he replied. "I don't think she knows, and I don't think she's angry at us. Something that we are going to see in town must be bothering her."  
  
"Do you also find it strange that we skipped lessons to go to town?" Elros stared into his brother's gray eyes.  
  
"Yes," said Elrond, "that's very unlike her." He looked at Elros and grinned. "Oh well. The longer I can prolong the arithmetic torture, the better."  
  
Elros laughed softly. "Same here with the reading torture."  
  
"I like to read," said Elrond in defense. "I like to read history."  
  
Elros make a gagging sound. "How boring!" he exclaimed. "How can you find pleasure in that?"  
  
"How can you find pleasure in arithmetic?"  
  
"It's easy."  
  
"It's boring."  
  
"Not if the problem's hard."  
  
The twins prattled on for a while and soon forgot their mother's woes. It was not too long until Elwing stopped and turned to them. He brow had softened slightly. "We're here," she said. "The town is busy at this time so stay close." She pulled the hood to her cloak up so it covered her face. After this, she gripped one of her twins' hands in each of her own.  
  
Sirion was not a big town, but it was jam-packed tightly. The buildings did not rise more than three floors, and each could house up to twenty elf families if needed. To Elrond, three rooms did not seem to be enough to live in and he wondered how the people got by. He silently thanked the Varda for his humble, yet much more spacious home.  
  
The main street of Sirion, which Elwing and her children walked on, was paved with stone, but the side streets and alleyways were simple dirt paths. The reddish clay it was composed of was a big problem for the city, as the dirt made a mess being tracked into houses, inhaled in lungs, and kicked into eyes.  
  
Along the main street, hundreds of vendors all crammed onto one street to sell their goods. If you could think of it, they had it. Food, pots, silver, shoes, clothing, furniture, jewelry. and the list went on and on. The market was noisy as they passed through, and Elwing squeezed her children's hands tighter.  
  
Elrond found himself immersed in people: something he was not accustomed to. He looked up around him: dark elves, blonde elves, male and female, tall and taller, young and old: all assembled in one spot to do what they did every day of their lives.  
  
The trio passed a fruit vendor and an older elf lady smiled down on Elrond. "Well aren't you just the cutest thing?" she cooed. "Perhaps I'll take you home with me."  
  
Elrond shrunk against his mother. No way was he going anywhere. Elwing peeked out from her hood. "Thank you," she said softly.  
  
The woman's countenance changed from warm to concerned. "Oh. Lady Elwing. I had no idea. My apologies." She bowed her head.  
  
"It's all right." Elwing responded. "Don't worry about it, Tirumenel. You meant no harm."  
  
By that point, the crowd of people around them had heard the words "Lady Elwing", and fallen silent. Elwing continued on down the street, the elves making a path for her as she went. All looked in quiet awe at the Lady of Sirion, as her appearances in town were rare.  
  
Elwing turned down one of the narrow alleyways and the twins instantly knew where they were headed. "We're going to see Mr. Ataredhel!" exclaimed Elros.  
  
"Yes," she replied. "But the two of you must stay in the foyer this time."  
  
The alley was much quieter, but in giving up the noise, they also gave up space. It was difficult for them to walk three abreast, and had to squeeze together whenever someone came down the alley in the opposite direction. Finally, Elwing decided to let her children go in front of her and lead the way, one which they knew very well.  
  
They reached a staircase and climbed it up to the third floor. As Ataredhel was one of the elders of the town, his family resided in the entire top of the building. A large wooden door loomed before them, and Elrond pushed it open.  
  
Drawings and maps lined the walls of the foyer, one of which was entirely a window that looked out over the main street of the town. A stone statue stood in the corner next to a couch, which housed none other than Ataredhel himself. He was an older elf with brown hair hanging loose at his shoulders. His eyes brightened with he saw the twins.  
  
"Hello!" he cried and stood up as both of the boys jumped into his outstretched arms. They were fond of Ataredhel because whenever he would journey to their house, he would always play tag with them.  
  
Elrond and Elros pulled away and looked up into his grinning face. "Ok," he said, "let's see if I can." He pointed at Elrond. "Elros," he proclaimed. "And you" He pointed at Elros. "Must be Elrond."  
  
The twins shook their heads and Ataredhel clapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh, I'll never be able to tell the difference! You two look so much alike." He turned his gaze to Elwing. "How are you, lady?" he asked, grasping her hand and laying a kiss upon it.  
  
Elwing sighed. "Better, I suppose." Elrond looked up at his mother and noticed something he hadn't before: lines around her eyes. "Now I need you two to stay here, while I talk to Mr. Ataredhel," she said. With that, she followed him into the next room and closed the door behind them.  
  
Elros stared after them. "Well that's not fair! Why can't we know what's wrong with mama?" He sat on the couch and crossed his arms.  
  
Elrond shrugged and sat next to him. "I don't know. I suppose there's a good reason, but I'd like to know what is bothering her as well."  
  
"I say we spy on the them," said Elros, his eyes growing wide.  
  
"I don't know if that's such a good idea."  
  
"Oh come on." With one pull he jerked Elrond from his seat and dragged him across the room to the door. They each placed one ear against it and listened intently.  
  
".can't believe he keeps asking," Elwing was saying.  
  
"Do you have the letter with you?" Ataredhel replied.  
  
There was a rustling sound as paper was placed on a desk. The pair remained silent for a few moments, then finally Ataredhel spoke. "This is grievous," he said. "What are we to do?"  
  
"That's why I came to you. I need your counsel." Elwing sighed. "I firmly believe that the Silmaril protects this town and it's inhabitants. We can't just go giving it away. And especially not to the likes of Maedhros."  
  
"You know he will kill for it, m'lady."  
  
"I do not doubt it," Elwing answered. "I am just reluctant to make a decision without Earendil. His journey has been so long. The children do not even know him."  
  
"It is hard, I know. But you must keep going. As long as Earendil is away, you are the ruler of this town. And you are a wise and just ruler."  
  
"Thank you kindly Ataredhel. It's just that."  
  
"What are they talking about?" whispered Elros.  
  
Elrond shook his head slowly. "I have no clue."  
  
"What's a Silmaril?"  
  
"You're asking me?"  
  
"Well you read a lot so I figured you'd have come across it."  
  
At that moment a piercing scream rang out from the street below. The twins ran to the window to have a look. The crowd at the market had parted and in their wake stood a horde of elves on black horses. The one in the front who appeared to be their leader was shouting at the people as they crouched further and further back against the buildings. He had dark hair and a curled lip.  
  
The door to their right flew open and Elwing rushed out, followed closely by Ataredhel. "Mother," cried Elros. "What is.?"  
  
"Stay!" she commanded and disappeared through the door.  
  
The twins turned their attention back to the window. Elrond now noticed that the elves on horseback had torches. A knot formed in his stomach as he stared at the riders. Something deep inside him told him that they were not welcome visitors. After a moment Elwing appeared before the elf and he reared his horse at the sight of her. They engaged in conversation, one which Elrond could tell was not a friendly one, because Elwing's eyebrows became tighter and tighter as it went on. She did not move, however.  
  
"He's going to hurt her!" said Elros, his eyes growing wide with fear. "We need to go down and help her."  
  
"She told us to stay here," replied Elrond. "Besides what can we do that any other elf down there can't?"  
  
Elros stamped his foot. "Well if you want to sit here like a pansy and watch while your mother gets abused then you can do that," he shouted. "But I'm going to be the good son and I'm going to help her!" He was out the door in a flash.  
  
"Wait!" cried Elrond, chasing after him. "You can't just go down there! That rider looks dangerous. I know you want to help mama but you can't just." Elrond's breath was wasted, as Elros was already halfway down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, Elros pushed through the crowd at the bottom and into the middle of the street.  
  
"You leave my mother alone, you filthy Orc!" Elros screamed. The riders stared silent and unmoving at the sight of the passionate young elf. Elrond squirmed through the crowd and clutched his brother on the arm.  
  
Elwing turned quickly, rage burning in her eyes. "I told you two to stay upstairs," she hissed through clenched teeth.  
  
Finally the elf spoke. "Child," he said, his voice a deep resonating presence, "I think you meddle in things you do not understand. I suggest that the two of you remove yourselves from my presence immediately and not interrupt my conversation again, lest I feel not so forgiving next time." His blue eyes were chips of ice.  
  
Elrond grabbed his brother tightly to his chest. He felt tears spring to his eyes but held them.  
  
"Maedhros," said Elwing. "My children have meant no harm. Please leave them out of this."  
  
"I'll leave them out as long as they stay out, but right now they seem to be very much in."  
  
Elwing gesticulated wildly. "What can they do to you?" she cried. "They're children!"  
  
"You're sidestepping the issue, Elwing. I've not time for games. Give me the Silmaril so that we may be on our way."  
  
Elwing's face was white and her lip stiff. "Never."  
  
"Do you realize what I am capable of?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And still you withhold the Silmaril?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Maedhros shook his head. "You are strange indeed, Elwing. Just give it to me."  
  
"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want this so badly? Why must you have it?"  
  
"Because we made an oath."  
  
"So break the oath."  
  
A stunned silence filled the market. Maedhros stared, unblinking at Elwing. "I can't do that. An elf of honor does not break his oaths."  
  
"There is no honor in murdering people," replied Elwing. Maedhros turned on his horse and trotted a few paces. "Tell me," she called after him, "how many more people must die before you are satisfied?"  
  
Maedhros sighed. "I do not know. Perhaps you can answer that question for me Elwing. Will you be sticking around to count the bodies? Or maybe you'll be among them." He drew his sword from the sheath at his right and the entire crowd went into hysterics. Maedhros looked to the riders. "Do your will."  
  
With that command, a torch came flying from nowhere and landed on top of one of the vendor's huts. In seconds the hay roof burst into flames and the crowd screamed and scattered, pushing into the twins as they stood helpless in the street. The riders all unsheathed their swords and stuck them into the closest civilian they could find.  
  
Elwing turned in a panic and looked at her sons. "RUN!" she shouted.  
  
She didn't have to tell them twice. Grabbing Elros's arm, Elrond dragged his brother through the stampeding crowd to safety behind one of the huts. They sat for a moment, clutching each other and gazing out at the chaos.  
  
Elves scattered right and left as their blood flew in the air. The fire had spread to one of the buildings and people came rushing out, pushing into the elves already in the street and tripping over the half dead. In all the commotion, Elrond had lost sight of his mother, and he searched the mass frantically for her. The crowd cleared for a moment and Elrond spied the flash of white that was his mother's dress. She brandished something thin and gleaming high above her head as one of the horsemen charged at her. With one swift move, Elwing thrust the blade into the rider's throat. He made a gurgling noise as dark blood oozed from his mouth, then fell from his horse. She removed the blade, the liquid seeping down onto her hand. Turning, Elwing noticed her sons crouching behind the hut.  
  
"I TOLD YOU TO RUN!" she screamed as another rider came at her, grabbing her dress and ripping it.  
  
"Come on!" cried Elrond and grabbed his brother off the ground. They ran blindly and Elrond had no idea where he was to go. His mind was a blur and his breathing staggered. They followed the retreating crowd until it thinned out and they reached the road back home. Elrond and Elros were alone as they raced down the dirt path, red clay flying up in their faces, stinging their eyes and clogging their nostrils.  
  
"Where are we going?" cried Elros.  
  
"The sea." For some reason that's what Elrond's mind kept telling him over and over again: go to the sea. Their house came into view and behind it the huge sky. He noticed that the white clouds had vanished and were replaced by a big gray one that shaded the sun. Elrond rounded the side of the house and ran diagonally across the beach behind it. He had never run so much in his life but he could not stop. His body would not allow him to. Finally, he spied a rock that he planned on hiding behind. Just as he approached it, a black horse stepped out from behind it and Elrond felt his stomach twist. He skidded to a halt and tried to run in the other direction but the horse was too fast for him. In moments the rider was upon Elrond and his brother, and a pair of strong arms lifted them by the necks.  
  
"Foolish to think you could outrun a horse," said the rider as he dangled the elf-children over the sand. Elrond clutched at the fist that clung to his collar but the rider had an iron grip. He kicked his feet and struggled to free himself. "Now tell me where your mother hides the Silmaril," the rider snarled.  
  
At that moment a blinding light flashed by the house and startled Maglor so much that he almost dropped the twins. Elrond twisted his head to see what was going on. There was his mother, running down the back porch holding a glittering shining rock to her breast. It's the seashell from the drawer, Elrond realized.  
  
Elwing raced across the beach, the sky ablaze with white light from the Silmaril she held. Her golden hair flew loose behind her as she tore to the waves. All at once the world seemed to move in slow motion. A rider galloped at her from the left side of the beach but Elwing was faster. The jewel tucked safely inside the top of her bloodied and torn dress, she met the waves and, taking one last breath, stretched out her arms and dove underneath them. The rider reared his horse back as he reached the water. The sea glowed with a murky while light as Elrond's mother swam under the waves.  
  
Before he knew what was happening, Elrond was stashed with Elros in the rider's lap, his strong arm imprisoning them there. Twisting violently, Elrond was able to see the ocean through the space between the rider's arm and his chest.  
  
Suddenly, the world was glowing again as a giant white bird arose from the sea. It flew frantically onward and Elrond smiled. His mother would be safe. Just then a searing pain exploded through his head and all went black.  
  
  
  
~Ok I revised dialogue. Better? I think so. Thank you to the folks who clued me in on this. Really, really gotta read The Sil here.~  
  
So what do you guys think so far? Have I screwed up the third kinslaying? I hope not. This chapter was quite thrilling to write, I hope it was thrilling to read.  
  
Have a nice day, I'm off to bed now. It's 1:42 AM. I think I do my best writing in the dead of night.  
  
Flowers, candy, and huggles,  
  
~TPM~ 


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